1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally concerns electronic data memory systems and more specifically, is directed to an opto-electronic data acquisition and storage system having the capability for simply, efficiently and inexpensively handling a vast quantity of data from the standpoint of acquisition (reading), to handle data in parallel or serially. The invention also concerns the provision of a plurality of templates having photonicly programable circuitry and having characteristics of essentially infinite circuit programmability.
2. The Prior Art
Due to the fact that many electronic circuit components are xe2x80x9chard wiredxe2x80x9d, the data processing speed of such circuitry is restricted by electronic signal transfers that can be achieved through the hard wired circuit components. It is desirable, therefore, to provide photonically sensitive electronic circuitry which is not composed of hard wired components but which incorporates light sensitive components which employ the inherent speed of reflected light and provide for data or signal transfer of significantly enhanced speed.
There is disclosed a method and a system for reading from a stationary optical storage device. The system is comprised of a light source, a digital light processor, a stationary optical storage device, and a receptor. The light source/sources are individually monochromatic and do not exclude but can include many regions of the spectral bandwidth, from (IR) infrared to ultraviolet (UV). The digital light processor (DLP) is a large-scale integrated spatial light modulator (DMD) comprising a large array of electrically controllable moveable and positionable micro-mirrors each having electrically engaged and disengaged positions. When electrically engaged an individual micro-mirror reflects light from the source to an optical storage device. When electrically disengaged, the micro-mirror is then positioned to reflect light from the source to a light absorber so that its portion of the light is not reflected to the optical storage device. The stationary optical storage (SOS) device comprises an array of holographically recorded data sets. The receptor can be any number of CCD15 like, CMOS image recovery devices, or light amplitude and frequency sensitive photo-active circuitry. The light source is processed through an optical set so that the beam is of the same size as the DMD and impinges upon the DMD in such a way as to cover the entire array of micro-mirrors with a uniformly distributed monochromatic light/lights.
The number and configuration of micro-mirrors on the DMD is a mirror image of 20 the number and configuration of data cells in the optical storage device, such that optical paths Al through An from the DMD optically align with corresponding data cells Sl through Sn on the optical storage device. However, the array of receptors and the configuration of the individual data cells are not necessarily the same configuration as the matching arrays of the micro-mirrors and the data cells on the optical storage device.
As individual micro-mirrors are electrically engaged, portions of the beam distributed uniformly over the micro-mirror array of the DMD are caused to impinge upon specific cells in the optical storage device. The angle of this impingement is such that, as individual micro-mirrors in the DMD are electrically engaged, a free space optical interconnection is established between an individual micro-mirror and its matching cell on the optical storage device; thus each micro-mirror re-directs a segment of the light beam from the light source to a corresponding data cell on the multi-cell array of the optical storage device. This beam path is highly selective in that it does not impinge upon any other cell in the multi-cell array of the optical storage device. Every cell in the optical storage device array has been holographically recorded so that any beam segment from any micro-mirror on the DMD is defracted by the micro-mirror""s matching cell on the optical storage device, causing this beam to diverge to the proper proportions and array alignment of the receptor and at the proper divergent angle so that it impacts and is aligned with the receptor array. Regardless of the optical path along which a beam forms, an optical interconnection between the DMD and optical storage device, the resulting defracted beam will always align with the receptor array. Data recorded in the cell also diverges with the beam, but are not necessarily consistent with the number, size, shape or configuration of the matching DMD/optical storage device set.
Some micro-mirrors of the DMD and their matching cells on the stationary optical storage device are reserved for devices other than the main receptor array, including devices for timing, distribution, categorizations, address"", decoding information, etc.
When any micro-mirror is electrically disengaged, its off-angled position directs the beam segment to a light absorbing material so that it does not impinge upon any cell in the optical storage device array, preventing scattering to any photo-active device, improving signal-to-noise ratios and precluding interference. The optical storage device is also positioned so that it will not be impinged by a beam segment from any mirror that is electrically disengaged.
One embodiment of the receptor can be a CCD or CMOS array onto which a pattern representing the data is refracted off of the SOS at a certain angle as to be aligned with the receptor array. The pattern of light and dark squares match the light sensitive array in size and number. The data having been transferred photonically to the array can be read in parallel, serially, or can be treated as in the case of a CMOS array, as memory itself.
Another embodiment of a receptor can be a wafer on which one side has been processed many non-interconnected logic, counters, processing units etc. Contiguous to the units, and phonically accessible from the SOS, paths for interconnecting the devices in a variety of architectures are accomplished through selective illumination by amplitude and frequency of refracted patterns from the SOS. The photo-active materials become selectively conductive by the amplitude and frequency sensitivity to the refracted schematic image. The non-connected units are connected in accordance to the schematic refracted off of the SOS. Thus a chip of this kind can be xe2x80x9crewiredxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9creprogrammedxe2x80x9d to perform as many different chips as there are individual mirrors on the DMD and holographically recorded on the SOS. With a tilt of a micro-mirror, monochromatic light can be directed to a specific area on the SOS that contains the desired holographically recorded schematic, which schematic is then refracted to and photonically creates electrical connections between different devices on the wafer.